Apparatus for dispensing inflammable fluids



May 14, 1935. c. M. HAMBLIN 2,000,946 APPARATUS FOR D ISPENSINGI'NFLAMMABLE FLUIDS Filed March 2, 1954 CLYDE H. HAH BLIN F| :.l uqvzmonPatented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,000,940 I APPARATUSson msrENsmG mamm- MABLE FLUIDS (Granted under the act of March 3,1888,as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) I'his invention relates to anapparatus for and method of stowing and dispensing inflammable fluids.It -has for an object to provide improved apparatus for safely stowingand storing inflammable fluids so as to minimize the danger of flre bothduring the stowing of the fluid and the storage of the fluid.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus whereby aninflammable fluid may be stored in a tank in the hold of the vessel, and

whereby the fluid may be 'fed into or dispensed.

from the storage tank from a substantial height above the tank withoutexerting any great pres- I sure on the tank.

' Another object of this invention is to provide a storage tank andcistern for receiving and storing inflammable fluids such as gasoline,which will prevent the formation of fumes within the tank and which willprovide for the elimination of any 01' the inflammable fluid in theconduit lines leading to the tank except while the fluid is either beingfed to the tank or beingdispensed therefrom, thus avoiding thepossibility of leaks developing in the conduit line through which fluidfrom the tank might be discharged.

A iurther' object of this invention is to provide a system of storinginflammable fluid in a storage tank wherein the storage tank will bekept iull at all times, either of the inflammable fluid or ofinflammable fluid and other non inflammable fluid of different specificgravity, which non-inflammable fluid will enter through a separateconduit line.

A still iurther object of this invention is to provide a fluid storageand dispensing system includ ing a storage tank and a fluid operatedmotor and pump whereby the force exerted by a noninflammable fluidentering the tank will operate the fluid motor, which in turn operatesthe fluid pump and dispenses the inflammable fluid when desired. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide a fluid-driven means forwithdrawing an inflammable fluid from a container whereby all use ofelectrical apparatus is eliminated and the danger of sparks and ignitionare removed.

A iurther object of this invention is to provide means for replacing aninflammable fluid as withdrawn from a container with a non-inflammablefluid such as water having a diflferent specific gravity andnon-miscible with the inflammable fluid whereby the container is keptconstantly full and the evaporation of the inflammable-fluid 5 in thecontainer and consequent formation an explosive gaseous mixture in thecontainer are prevented.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means and amethod of dispensing an inflammable fluid and of utilizing the velocityhead 5 of a second fluid for imparting the dispensing movement to theinflammable fluid and/or utilizing part 0! the second fluid forreplacing the dispensed fluid within the container therefor.

In the drawing: Fig. l is a diagrammatic representation of th apparatusand system, certain parts being in section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the non-inflammable fluid valve on .thestorage tank;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the inflammable fluid valve on the storagetank.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a modifled form of valve arrangement.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a pressure gauge.

There is shown at l a storage tank which may be located in the hold ofthe vessel diagrammatically shown at 32, the tank I being intended forstoring inflammable fluids, such as gasoline or the like, as at 2. Inorder to prevent the formation of fumes in the tank i and thus minimizethe danger of flre and explosion, it is desirable that the tank I bekept full at all times and in order to do so a system is providedforreplacing the gasoline 2 with non-inflammable fluid such as water 33.Inasmuch as water is of greater specific gravity than gasoline and isnon-miscible with gasoline, the gasoline will always float on top of thewater. The gasoline is fed into the tank I through the pipe I at the topof the tank I, and water is fed into the tank from the bottom by meansof the pipe II. A hand shut-off valve 4 is provided in the pipe 3. Thegasoline ieeds through a pair of valves 23 and 24' within the valvehousing 34 into the top of tank I. The valve 23 is of such weight andsize that it will not float in gasoline but will float in water, hencethe valve 23 will allow gasoline to pass thereby in either direction butwill automatically close should water level rise to the point where thisvalve is located. The valve 24 is of such weight and size that it willfloat in either gasoline or water but will close in the absence ofeither. Bames II are provided-within the housing 34 for each er valves23 and 24 to reduce the ellect oi the velocity of flow oi the fluid uponthe valves.

with this arrangement of valves, when the hand valve 4 is opened,gasoline may enter from the pipe 3 to the tank I, or may be dischargedirom I as soon as the pipe 3 is emptied, thus preventing v the tank Ithrough the pipe a freely without hindrance. When the gasoline enteringthe tank I' from pipe 3 ceases to flow, the valve 24 will close air fromentering through the pipe 3 into the tank I and forming an explosivemixture. On the other hand as the gasoline 2 is withdrawn through pipeentirely empty of gasoline the water level will rise to the valve 23,which will close and prevent drawing of water through the pipe 3. Thepipe I I which feeds water v33 to the bottom of tank I is provided witha hand shut-ofl valve I2 leadin through a float valve 22 to the tank I.The weight and size of valve 22 is such that it will not float ingasoline but will float in water, hence water may pass the valve 22freely in either direction between the pipe II and the tank I. When thetank I is filled with gasoline 2 and the water level is lowered bywithdrawing water through pipe I I the valve 22 will close when thewater level falls to this point and the valve 22 becomes immersed ingasoline instead of water. As shown in Fig. 1, the pipes 3 and II leadto the storage tank I located in the hold 'of the vessel 32. It isdesirable to avoid placing the tank I under the pressure that would benecessary if the fluid were placed therein through the pipe leading fromthe deck of the vessel. The pipe 3 connects through a hand control valve5 to a pipe 9 leading to the deck of the vessel and the pipe II connectsthrough a hand valve I5 leading to pipe I9 to thedeck of the vessel,suitable means (notshown) being provided for supplying gasoline throughthe pipe 9 and water through the pipe I9 when filling the tank, and fordispensing gasoline from the pipe 9 when emptying the tank. By-passpipes 6 and I9 are provided leading from the pipes 9 to 3 and I9 to I I,respectively. Pipe 6 is provided with hand valves 1 and I and pipe I6 isprovided with hand valves I1 and 20 for controlling'the flow of fluidtherethrough as may be desired. The pipe 6 is pro- .vided with a fluidpump 8, while pipe I6 is, provided with a fluid operated motor I 8 whichis directly connected, in any suitable manner, to pump 8. Pipe II isfurther provided with an overflow pipe 2I leading to the outside of thevessel to discharge overboard.

In order to withdraw gasoline 2 from tank I, valves 5 and I5 are closed,valves 4, I, I0, I2, I1; and 20 are opened, and the three-way valve I3is set to provide for continuous passage through the pipe II. Then asupply of water is fed down through pipe I9. As the water feeds downthrough pipe I9, the velocity head .thereof will operate the fluidoperated motor I3 which in turn operates the fluid pump 8 to pumpgasoline 2 up to pipe 9 through pipe 3 and pipe 6. After the water haspassed through the motor I 8 it continues on through pipe I6 to pipe I Iand then through pipe II and valve I2 to the bottom of tank I to replacethe gasoline being withdrawn.

Any surplus water that is unable to enter the tankI is taken care of bydischarging overboard through the overflow pipe 2I. In view of theoverflow pipe 2I taking care 01 surplus water, a much greater quantityof water may be fed down through'pipe I9 than the amount of gas line-2that is pumped up through pipe 9 and this excess quantity oi watercreates the desired velocity head to operate the motor II. -Any suitabletype of pump or motor which can be operated'on a fluid may be used asthe pump 3 and the motor l9,

After the desired quantity of gasoline 2 has been withdrawn from thetank I it is undesirable to allow gasoline to remain inthe pipes 3, 6 or9, and to provide for thisresult the valve I3 will be turned so as toconnect the lower portion of pipe II through the pipe I4. If the valveI3 be placed as shown in Fig. 1, the pressure of the waterin the pipe IIand the valve I3 will substantially counterbalance the pressure exertedby the water 33 and gasoline 2 in tank I. When valve I3 is turnedto'connect pipe I4 to the bottom of tank I water will drain therethroughor if, as shown inFig. 4, it is above the level of water it will bepumped therefrom by means of the pump 30' and the pipe 3| so as to draina suflicient quantity of water from the bottom of. tank I until thegasoline level has fallen to the level of valve 24 which will close asabove described and prevent the entrance of air therein. With the pipes3, 8 and 9 thus emptied of gasoline, the valve 4 may then be closedthereby insuring that tank I remains continuously full of fluid, eitherof gasoline alone or gasoline and water, as the .case may be. In orderto know positively where the level of the fluid is located with ref-.erence to the valves 23 and 24, a differential pressure gauge 21 isprovided and connected by pipe 28 through valve 30 to the pipe 3 and bypipe 26 through valve 29 to the top of tank I. The pressure gauge 21will indicate the level of fluid in a well known manner..

It will be apparent from the construction and arrangement of the valves,tank, motor, and pump as described, that the tank will at all times befull of liquid, as well as the entire pipe system, when.filling with ordelivering gasoline, with no opportunity for vaporization of thegasoline. The respective float valves assure that no gasoline can escapewith the displaced water during the tank filling process and also thatnowater will be delivered from the pump.

The construction is particularly adapted for marine installations but inno sense restricted thereto. 1

Various modifications in the construction and arrangement of parts willreadily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art in connectionwith particular installations, but all within the scope of the presentinvention as claimed.

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalty thereon.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing inflammable fluids, comprising acontainer, a conduit leading from the top of said container, a conduitleading from the bottom of said container, means to draw the fluidsthrough said first conduit and means in said second conduit operatedbythe velocity head oi the fluid passing therethrough to drive saidfirst mentioned means.

2. An apparatus for .dispensing inflammable fluids, comprising acontainer, a conduit leading ,from the top of said container, a conduitleading from the bottom of said container, means cooperating with saidfirst mentioned conduit for causing the inflammable fluids to passtherethrough out of said container, means cooperating with said secondconduit for causing a non-inflammable fluid to enter intothe bottom ofsaid. container, said first and second mentioned means cooperating witheach other whereby one" of said fluids replaces the other of said fluidsin said container to keep said container full at all times.

' from the top of said container, a conduit leading from the bottom ofsaid container, pump means cooperating with said first mentioned conduitfor causing the inflammable fluids to pass therethrough out of saidcontainer, motor means cooperating with said second conduit Ior causinga non-inflammable fluid to enter into the bottom 01' said container,said pump and motor means cooperating with each other whereby one oi.said fluids replaces the other of said fluids in said container to keepsaid container lull at all times, valve means at the bottom of saidcontainer preventing said inflammable fluids irom leaving through saidlower conduit and valve means cooperating with the top of said containerpreventing said non-inflammable fluid from leaving through said upperconduit.

4. In combination, a container, a conduit leading from the top thereof,a conduit leading to the bottom thereof, a pump positioned to dispense afluid through the first conduit, afluid operated motor positioned andarranged to drive the pump I and to be operated by the velocity head offluid I by a difl'erential valve in the second mentioned passing throughthe second conduit, whereby fluid dispensed from the container by thepump may be replaced by fluid which has operated upon the fluid drivenmotor.

5. The combination oi claim4 characterized by an overflow conduitcommunicating with the second conduit and intermediate the motor andtank.

6. The combination of claim 4 characterized by a differential valvepositioned in the first mentioned conduit between the container and thepump, weighted with respect to the specific gravity of the fluid to bedispensed from the container and the'specific. gravity of the fluidoperative of the pump and being supplied to the container, whereby thevalve will close at a change in the fluid passing therethrough.

adapted to close when there is no fluid in th conduit. i I

8. The combination of claim 4 characterized by oppositely acting floatvalves in the first mentioned conduit between thecontainer and the pump,one'oif said valves weighted with respect to the specific gravity of thefluid to be dispensed from the container and the specific gravity of thefluid operative of the pump and being supplied to the container andarranged to close at a change duit intermediate the motor and thecontainer with-a discharge conduit leading therefrom at an elevationwith respect to the container adapted to balance the two columnsoifluids in the container and second conduit below said valverespectively, whereby the fluid in the first mentioned conduit can bewithdrawn from the pump to the container by withdrawing fluid from thesecon conduit. I I

10. The combination of claim 4 characterized conduit between thecontainer and the motor weighted with respect to the specific .gravityof the fluid to be dispensed from the container and that of the fluidpassing to the container from the motor adapted to close in the presence01' the first mentioned fluid, whereby in refilling the container thereplacement fluid in the container can 'be drained through said secondconduit but said valve will close to prevent escape of the lighter 11.Anapparatus for dispensing inflammable fluids, a container, a conduitleading to said container, a float valve housing positioned in saidconduit, a pair of valve floats of diilerent specific gravity in saidvalve housing, and bailies on the valve housing for preventing theinertia of the flowing fluids from ailecting the buoyancy of saidfloats.

' CLYDE M. HAMBLIN.

